A method is provided for printing to a target. The method includes printing a first image to the target. The first image is printed with a metallic material. The method also includes printing a second image to the target over the first image. The second image is printed with a colored semi-transparent material.

A method is provided for printing to a target. The method includes printing a first image to the target. The first image is printed with a metallic material. The method also includes printing a second image to the target over the first image. The second image is printed with a colored semi-transparent material.

A value and safety document comprises a substrate having a front side and a back side. An ink layer is applied to the front or back sides of the substrate. A first motif is incorporated into the ink layer, and is combined with a second motif. The second motif is arranged on the same side of the substrate as the first motif. The second motif is configured in the form of an emboss structure comprising a plurality of raised emboss elements having areas of different orientation. The emboss structure forms the second motif having a second tilt or motion effect, by different groups of emboss elements, having different characteristic parameters, reflecting incident light in different spatial areas. The emboss elements have respectively a lateral dimension of less than 30 m and a height of less than 10 m. The first motif is adapted at least partially to the second motif.

A forensic feature for a secure document comprises a base document layer and a covert material applied to the base document layer. The covert material includes a carrier and forensic material within the carrier. The forensic material includes a ratio of salts or oxides of metals, such as rare earth metals. The ratio is selected to correspond with a source of the document. The forensic material may be mixed into a coating or ink that is applied at predetermined locations on a secure document. The ratio is then measurable from metal ion signals of the salts or oxides. This ratio, or some metric derived from it, may be linked with information embedded elsewhere in the document to enable verification of the document. Another forensic document feature has a forensic metric that is measurable from a covert material in the document, and this forensic metric corresponds to a source of the document. A blocking layer applied over the covert material prevents access to the covert material such that at least partial destruction of the document is required to measure the forensic metric. The blocking layer may have a blocking property that blocks electromagnetic waves from activating the covert material, or blocks the electromagnetic waves from the covert material in response to the activating waves. The blocking layer is deconstructed to access the forensic feature, verify the document and perform forensic tracking.

A forensic feature for a secure document comprises a base document layer and a covert material applied to the base document layer. The covert material includes a carrier and forensic material within the carrier. The forensic material includes a ratio of salts or oxides of metals, such as rare earth metals. The ratio is selected to correspond with a source of the document. The forensic material may be mixed into a coating or ink that is applied at predetermined locations on a secure document. The ratio is then measurable from metal ion signals of the salts or oxides. This ratio, or some metric derived from it, may be linked with information embedded elsewhere in the document to enable verification of the document. Another forensic document feature has a forensic metric that is measurable from a covert material in the document, and this forensic metric corresponds to a source of the document. A blocking layer applied over the covert material prevents access to the covert material such that at least partial destruction of the document is required to measure the forensic metric. The blocking layer may have a blocking property that blocks electromagnetic waves from activating the covert material, or blocks the electromagnetic waves from the covert material in response to the activating waves. The blocking layer is deconstructed to access the forensic feature, verify the document and perform forensic tracking.

A security feature for a value document, into which markings are introduced by at least one laser beam, includes at least one laser-sensitive recording layer which is transparent in the visible spectral range, light-diffracting or light-refracting structures arranged on a first side of the recording layer, at least one first marking which is introduced into the at least one recording layer by a laser beam from at least one direction through the light-diffracting or light-refracting structures into the at least one recording layer and is visible when viewed from the same direction from a second side, at least one second marking which is introduced into the at least one recording layer with a laser beam from the second side of the recording layer and is visible when viewed from the first and the second side

A security feature for a value document, into which markings are introduced by at least one laser beam, includes at least one laser-sensitive recording layer which is transparent in the visible spectral range, light-diffracting or light-refracting structures arranged on a first side of the recording layer, at least one first marking which is introduced into the at least one recording layer by a laser beam from at least one direction through the light-diffracting or light-refracting structures into the at least one recording layer and is visible when viewed from the same direction from a second side, at least one second marking which is introduced into the at least one recording layer with a laser beam from the second side of the recording layer and is visible when viewed from the first and the second side

A method of manufacturing an image element array includes: providing a production tool having a surface pattern of ink-receptive elements spaced by areas which are not, the ink-receptive elements defining the array image elements; applying a multi-colored first image formed of a inks to only the ink-receptive elements; and transferring only the portions of the multi-colored first image corresponding to the image elements from the production tool to a substrate. An image element array is formed on the substrate. The production tool surface pattern is configured such that when viewing and image element arrays overlap, each viewing element within an image element array first region directs light from a respective image element or from a respective gap. The viewing angle in the first region directs light from either the array or the gaps.

A method of manufacturing an image element array includes: providing a production tool having a surface pattern of ink-receptive elements spaced by areas which are not, the ink-receptive elements defining the array image elements; applying a multi-colored first image formed of a inks to only the ink-receptive elements; and transferring only the portions of the multi-colored first image corresponding to the image elements from the production tool to a substrate. An image element array is formed on the substrate. The production tool surface pattern is configured such that when viewing and image element arrays overlap, each viewing element within an image element array first region directs light from a respective image element or from a respective gap. The viewing angle in the first region directs light from either the array or the gaps.

A flexible band configured to be connected to a data page and to a booklet, wherein the flexible band extends along a main direction and includes an upper side and a lower side as well as a plurality of apertures, wherein the flexible band includes at least one security element, wherein the security element is provided by at least one security print pattern; or the security element is provided by at least one security thread; or the security element is provided by at least one security print pattern in combination with at least one security thread.